Official Anime/Manga Thread

[Aoi]

Okay, I have a question about Gurren Lagann; do the first five episodes really reflect the entire series? But I finally jumped into the series thinking it could be the best thing ever, but I'm not sure if I like it or not. I think the most driving force in its style, because it is the style I admire.

Has anyone watched Rurouni Kenshin, otherwise known as Samurai X?

It's already been 10 years since I started watching it, I believe. It was highly popular here (may have been due to the fact that there was nothing better going on on TV), with several reruns. I loved it to pieces (but I wasn't even ten yet, so I thought it was a bit violent xD). I think it was the first anime I followed with interest. The others didn't do much for me at the time.

Man, I loved that show when I was a little kid, but let me tell you, its hard to watch it as an adult. It's really choppy, the animation's not very good, and the plot is ugh. Its definitely one of those animes that looks really good when you're little and then you rewatch it and IT'S REALLY RETARDED. Like Sonic the Movie. Ewwwww.

[Remy]

Okay, I have a question about Gurren Lagann; do the first five episodes really reflect the entire series? But I finally jumped into the series thinking it could be the best thing ever, but I'm not sure if I like it or not. I think the most driving force in its style, because it is the style I admire.

Gurren Lagann has about 3 (or 4) major shifts in tone throughout the series, reflecting each era of mecha. It still keeps the awesome pace/style though.

[Tornado]

I had a partial heart attack the first time I saw that episode lol. Tenchi Universe is my favourite of the Tenchi series.

Likewise. I have seen all of the other series (Tenchi in Tokyo when it originally aired on Toonami, GXP when I had the Funimation Channel and (some of) the OVA episodes when I borrowed the DVDs), and none of them ever stuck. Tokyo was a bit too over the top and wasn't as fun to watch (still enjoyable when things are toned down a bit), GXP was kind of boring (though I do want to give it another chance next time I can), and I never found the whole "Everyone is related to Everyone" angle that the OVAs use so much to be anything but weird (though it had its moments).

Completely unrelated story:

I had 30 bucks to burn, and I decided to check out my favorite store at the local mall (they have everything. Music, Anime, used games, new games, movies, etc.). While I was fighting my urge to whip out my credit card and burn through a hundred bucks to get the FMA box set, I saw a Case Closed area on the shelf. Curious to relive some old nostalgia of seeing the show a few years back (again, when I had the Funimation channel), I bought up the Volume 1 set and took it home.

Wow. I liked the show back then, but I love it now. The teen-in-a-kid-body subplot is still as annoying as it was back then, but the writing is otherwise top notch and highly creative. I can't help but feel reminded of Phoenix Wright games when watching it (I even remarked to myself that it was like watching someone else play Trials and Tribulations), and I even managed to solve one of the cases from an episode I hadn't seen previously before the show itself showed off who the bad guy was (I was quite proud of that as well). I highly suggest anyone that fobbed off the show originally to give it another look.

[Kevin]

Detective Conan AKA Case Closed is an excellent series. I saw a few episodes here and there, and absolutely loved them! Especially the twists that come when the case is solved.

Anyway, I just finished Soul Eater. While it was a good series, the ending felt rushed and could of been better.

[Conando]

Then I'd recommend you Soul Eater since it's too is an action packed anime with an good quality, if you download the HD that is. But for now I have just finished looking at clannad/after story, and I got to admit the series as a whole is fantastic.

Tho I would never recommend the anime if you're just gonna watch some episodes, if you want to see the beauty of the anime then you should watch the whole serie not just one episode because then you might not like .

Thought if you do not like sad, drama and comedy then you might not like it either.

Ooh and I forgot to say stupidity as well because that will come back and forth time to time so yerr.

The Comedy bit works. I watch One Piece, after all. Actually, I also watch Gintama which is pretty much pure comedy.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Hero Of Fate

[DaBatGuy]

Has anyone watched Rurouni Kenshin, otherwise known as Samurai X?

It's already been 10 years since I started watching it, I believe. It was highly popular here (may have been due to the fact that there was nothing better going on on TV), with several reruns. I loved it to pieces (but I wasn't even ten yet, so I thought it was a bit violent xD). I think it was the first anime I followed with interest. The others didn't do much for me at the time.

It's too bad they don't broadcast it anymore. I may re-watch it when I find the episodes.

(Needless to say, I watched a dubbed version).

Oh yes, the only series I [legally] own in its entirety and the anime that with one viewing turned my cousins into raving otakus. I love the dub too since I first watched it on Toonami and I always hated Kenshin's girly Jap. VA. It really is a shame that they never animated a fourth season and ended the series with filler.

[Mollfie]

I'm going to be reading and reviewing

Genshiken Fan Book

Negima!? neo #1 (new manga series)

Koihime Soushi

Speed Grapher

soon n___n

[Sean]

How has there been no discussion of Mushi-Shi in this thread yet/

To anybody who's a fan of Kino no Tabi (like me), this is for you. Mushi-Shi is about a wandering traveler named Ginko who investigates a mysterious life form known as mushi, which is neither good nor evil, but is the purest form of life there is on the planet. Along the way, he manages to help out others whose lives have been affected by mushi in one form or another. Different types of mushi range from swamps that travel from place to place to ink characters that come to life on paper to parasitic forms that dwell within other living creatures, like humans, and feed off their senses, such as sound.

This is one of the most well-crafted anime shows I've seen in years. The music is beautiful, the art is gorgeous, and the storytelling and atmosphere are perfect. Ginko is the only recurring character in the series, though he holds up well to connect all of the tales that are told throughout the series (which is filled with self-contained episodes, much like Kino no Tabi and Cowboy Bebop). I bought the complete collection yesterday on DVD, and I've already finished the first disc (episodes 1-7); needless to say, I was immersed by the time the first episode had ended.

There are several English episodes uploaded on YouTube, courtesy of FUNimation. If you enjoy shows with actual substance, and if you enjoy things that are works of art - yet don't even attempt to be, so don't expect artistic elitism faggotry here - then you owe it to yourself to check it out.

[UncleChuckTH]

I like a lot of different animes right now.

First and foremost, Gurren Lagann is my thing. In my opinion, it's the best anime ever known, and up there with shows in general.

I've also been into Soul Eater for awhile, and that was pretty good. I enjoyed a lot of the action sequences, humor, and awesome characters. I also loved its literary references to horror greats like Franken Stein, Jack the Ripper, Medusa the Gorgon, Arachne the spider, etc. The show had a very nice pace and a very colorful cast of characters. I stuck with this for awhile. I started reading the manga a little later. From what I heard, in the mid 30s of episodes the series starts to deviate from the manga, and I have to admit the series gets a lot more boring after that. It was episode upon episode of all talk, no action, no interesting plot points, we just watch these awesome characters stand around and take several episodes to do things highly unnecessary because they weren't in the manga in the first place. So, when it got to the last few episodes I was happy to see some action again. However as it turns out these fights are very anticlimatic and the ending was a big bomb. So I still like the show, however I'll be holding out for a movie or OVA that I might be more enthusiastic about later.

Also watching Cowboy Bebop right now. Gotta love that.

[null]

I just finished watching all of Lucky Star. Why does all of the anime that I'm interested in have to end with 20 or so episodes when all the ones I don't care about get 100? I started watching Detective Conan a week ago, and I already know it ends abruptly somehow because I was reading the manga when someone at school said "Why did they stop making it?".

I'll never have the same pleasures as a true otaku. ;_;

Edited April 3, 2009 by Ricky

[Mollfie]

^ Lucky Star is one of my fav animes ever

[Kevin]

Lucky Star is awesome and one of the funniest animes ever! Konta is my favorite characer in the series, and I really loved the Lucky Channel segments.

[Eileanach]

The Lucky Channel segments were glorious Kevin I need to agree they were my favourite part of the show.

[Kevin]

I caught the last few minutes of Dragon Ball Kai. It looks pretty cool. The animation reminds me a lot of the original series.

One Piece's new opening kicks ass!

[\gunther]

I caught the last few minutes of Dragon Ball Kai. It looks pretty cool. The animation reminds me a lot of the original series.

Isn't most of Kai's animation just restored/remastered/whateveryouwannacallit scenes? :V

I'm thinking of starting up Baccano soon. I don't know much about it other than it's based in America, has a several plots that all end up connecting and has an awesome English dub, apparently.

I need to finish up what I started rather than always finding a new series to start. Gundam Wing, Black Lagoon, Big O, Casshern Sins, Lucky Star, Shakugan No Shana, Soul Eater... Been neglecting lots of stuff. lol

Edited April 5, 2009 by gunthetra

[Kevin]

I just got finished watching the 1st episode of the FMA remake. I have to say the opening, ending, and animation kick ass!

However, I'm surprised that episode 1 was completely original. I thought it was going the same route as the manga did, and thus episode 1 would start off like that. I'm guess it's to introduce people to the series?

[Remy]

It's out already!? Whaaaaaaaaaaaa!?

I must watch it!!

Edit: That was fucking awesome woot! Heaps cool! Bones must have poured like 1000000000 yen into this. Interesting that they chose an original plot line... it works though. Some fun foreshadowing of the later events of the manga. IMO it's kind of like introducing people to it, but also at the same time giving the manga fans a nod with all that foreshadowing. Kind of like, "don't worry guys we're following the book"

And it's cool they're bringing more of the humor into it, Armstrong was freaking hilarious. I've seen people on other boards bitching about the funny, but those people are idiots.

Also, that's probably my favorite ED ever. Totally original, sticks out amongst the countless emo prentensious EDs and the absolutely just plain weird ones (hello code geass)

Also also:

Young Hoenheim right?

[-Mark-]

Just seen the first episodes of the new FMA and DBK.

FMA was nice and flashy, I suppose they wanted to do something new for an opening episode rather than practically reshow something identical to the first series' opener.

DBK was... I dunno. D=

[123654]

Young Hoenheim right?

That's where Ed gets his good looks from.

I liked this new episode. It was a nice reintroduction to the characters and it was nice to see Hughes alive again.

I noticed the animation was a lot like the Fullmetal Alchemist movie.

[Remy]

Animation is done by an entirely new studio within BONES, the mythical Studio "D"

And if by "animation was closer to the movie" you mean "freaking awesome" then I agree. It'll be interesting to see what they'll do from here, obviously they're doing the flashback character flesh out thing next (which kinda sucks that I have to watch again, but meh) but it's looking like this series will move pretty fast, considering the amount of crap they packed into that first ep. Can't wait to see more.

Anyone watching anything else this season? I heard Queen's Blade has

acidic breast milk

WTF! XD

[Candescence]

First I finish watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, now comes the awesome first episode of the new FMA. How can this week get any better?

[\gunther]

Eh, I may watch this new FMA if it gets dubbed and airs on Adult Swim over here. It'd feel a bit awkward watching FMA without the English cast. Plus I'm not that big of a FMA fan anyway, sooo... ^^'

Speaking of anime that recently began airing, I'm going to try to watch that new Mazinger Z soon. I never saw the original Mazinger (which was one of the great grandpappies of mecha anime), but I'll watch this anyway. I like my super robot shows. I do I do.

Anyone else think that K-On will end up being one of the most popular anime of the year? Didn't see it yet, but I'm slightly interested even though I'm usually into more action-based stuff.

Edited April 8, 2009 by gunthetra

[Blue Kirby]

I love the opening song ;___; Hohenheim~

xD I also love the ending song. The chibi drawings are so funny and cute.

About the episode...i loved it. Nothing new, a filler, but i liked the way Bones reminds us Al and Alphonse´s story in a different way.

I´m glad Bones is following the manga, because IS AWESOME.

How sad the manga is about to finish ;___;.

How has there been no discussion of Mushi-Shi in this thread yet/

Mushishi FTW. I watched by sheer chance the first two episodes in the TV and i fell in love with it ;3; Ginko~

The atmoshpere is so calm, so relaxing , so...;3;. And the stories are beautiful.

PD: Aaawww c´mon...i want FMA 94 and Soul Eater 60 raw now >___<*

Edited April 9, 2009 by Blue Kirby

[DSP001]

I jsut saw the first ep of the new FMA, and immediately downloaded the opening and ending tracks XD, I love this new series, I was completely caught off guard by the original intro, I thought they were going to go straight to Lior like in the first anime, but this was certainly a fanservice episode, but a well written one, I look forward to this new take on the series C: Its great to have FMA back though, I remember the first time I saw it I downloaded the series and movie and watched all of it on my ipod in one sitting =w=.

[Kevin]

More good news for FMA fans. Funimation will be streaming FMA: Brotherhood episodes a few days after their Japanese airing on their official FMA site. This is certainly a sign that they could be dubbing the series in the near future. I hope it airs on Adult Swim like the original series did.